Intern in the Quality Department, Equipment Criticality Assessment

Internship Opportunity in the Quality Department: Equipment Criticality Assessment

Our team and mission

The Product Assurance & Safety (PA&S) Offices at ESA coordinate and supervise PA&S activities for the respective programmes and projects within the relevant application directorate. They represent the directorate in all corporate activities in the PA&S domain, including Quality Management. The Heads of the PA&S Office report functionally to the respective director of the relevant programme directorate and are responsible for the assurance of all space-relevant aspects within the associated directorates. They also support the Independent Safety Office regarding Space Debris Mitigation and Safety activities. As QMS Managers, the Heads of PA&S Offices ensure maintenance and certification of the Quality Management System (QMS) and report directly to the relevant director on urgent matters.

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Quality Effectiveness of the Equipment Criticality Assessment (ECA) and its future application

As an intern working on Equipment Criticality Assessment (ECA), you will contribute meaningfully by supporting both the development and implementation of the process. Your role may include:

1. Understanding the Framework
   • Study ECA principles: Review ESA documentation, past project examples, and the FORUM presentation
   • Learn about Equipment Qualification Status Review (EQSR) and how it ties into ECA
   • Understand delegation schemes and how ESA and Industry collaborate
2. Support Documentation & Tools
   • Help design or refine the questionnaire that replaces bulky documentation
   • Assist in creating templates for delegation tracking and reporting
   • Compile a subset of EQSR documents relevant for ECA decision-making
3. Data Collection & Analysis
   • Gather historical data on equipment performance and delegation levels
   • Analyse trends in delegation evolution across projects
   • Support the creation of dashboards or visual summaries for project teams
4. Process Mapping & Improvement
   • Map the current ECA process and identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies
   • Propose streamlined workflows for early-phase integration (e.g., during B1)
   • Document lessons learned from past projects to inform future improvements
5. Stakeholder Engagement
   • Attend meetings with ESA and Industry to observe discussions on delegation
   • Help prepare briefing materials or summaries for internal communication
   • Support training or onboarding materials for new team members
6. Project-Specific Contributions
   • Work on a pilot implementation of ECA in a specific subsystem or equipment
   • Track and report on delegation level changes during progress meetings
   • Assist in pre-agreement documentation during the proposal phase

Behavioural competencies

• Result Orientation
• Operational Efficiency
• Fostering Cooperation
• Relationship Management
• Continuous Improvement
• Forward Thinking

Education

You must be a university student, preferably studying at master’s level. You must be able to prove that you will be enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

• The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another ESA Member State language is an asset.
• During the interview, your motivation for applying to this role will be explored.
• Knowledge and background in Quality and European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) is an asset.

Important Information and Disclaimer

During the recruitment process, the Agency may request applicants to undergo selection tests. Applicants must be eligible to access information, technology, and hardware which is subject to European or US export control and sanctions regulations. The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding internship conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.

Nationality

Applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.